A new discrete-time robot model and its validity test

Digital control of robot manipulator employs discrete-time robot models. It is important to explore effective discrete-time robot models and to analyze their properties in control system designs. This paper presents a new type discrete-time robot model. The model is derived by using trapezoid rule to approximate the convolution integral term, then eliminating nonlinear force terms from robot dynamical equations. The new model obtained has very simple structure, and owns the properties of independence to the nonlinear force terms. According to evaluation criteria, three aspects of the model properties: model accuracy, model validity range and model simplicity are examined and compared with commonly used discrete-time robot models. The validity of the proposed model and its advantages to control system designs are verified by simulation results.